1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to apparatus for removing floating debris from the surface of a pool of liquid, and more particularly to devices movable over the surface of the water of a swimming pool for removing floating leaves, bugs and other debris.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
(The term "prior art" as used herein, or in any statement by or on behalf of applicant, means only that any document or thing referred to as prior art bears, directly or inferentially a date which is earlier than the effective filing date hereof).
Leaves and other floating debris are commonly removed from swimming pools by "skimmers" built into the walls of the pool at the normal water level. Wave action in the pool, generated by people using the pool and/or by the wind, is supposed to wash the floating leaves, etc. into troughs or openings in the wall of the pool, from whence they are drawn by a line connected to the suction side of the swimming pool pump. This system is less than satisfactory, particularly where the wind tends to blow floating leaves and debris against the pool walls remote from the skimmer. Also, fluctuations in the water level adve effect the operation of such fixed skimmers, even to the point of becoming inoperative when the water level rises or falls even two or three inches.
Attempts have been made to cope with fluctuations in the water level of the pool by devices such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,079 to Gilfred J. Sharrow, Jr. wherein the skimmer unit floats in the water and hence always remains at the same position relative to the pool surface, even though the skimmer intake unit moves up and down with changes in the water level. These devices do not move about the pool, but rather are tethered in one place as shown in the Sharrow, Jr patent.
It has been proposed to float the skimmer unit in the pool water, and move the skimmer unit over the surface of the pool in such manner that it eventually covers the entire surface and thus is much more likely to pick up floating leaves and debris. An example of this approach is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,557 to Brian R. Weatherholt wherein a flat, platter-shaped floating housing has a mesh bottom and is dragged around the pool behind a conventional pool cleaner having a plurality of flexible whips or tentacles. The range and character of movement of the Weatherholt skimmer, as well as its capacity for holding debris, is extremely limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,989,185 to Oliver M. Lombardi illustrates a skimmer which floats on the surface of the water and which has a depending open mesh bag into which the floating leaves and debris are propelled downwardly by a jet of water. The Lombardi device moves over the surface of the swimming pool solely under the influence of air currents.
In addition to the patents discussed above, it is believed that the patents listed below contain information which is or might be considered to be material to the examination of this application.
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor ______________________________________ 2,725,356 O. Lombardi 3,263,811 W. Baker et al. 3,291,145 H. Arneson 3,805,815 R. Goodin 3,883,366 C. Blumenfield 4,289,155 C. Sable 4,348,192 A. Pansini 4,569,361 H. Frentzel ______________________________________
These patents are believed to be relevant to the present invention because they were adduced by a prior art search made by an independent searcher.
A copy of each of the above-listed and above-discussed patents is supplied to the Patent and Trademark Office herewith
No representation or admission is made that any of the enclosed documents is part of the prior art, in any acceptation of that term, or that no more pertinent information exists